"Twenty years ago, the public expected discussion of the tough issues," he said.

"There were reasons that a merger would have been a home run," said one person told of the merger discussions.

"The discussion about the Princeton offense," he said after another question on the subject.

"It's coming together," said an official involved in the budget discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The mood among negotiators was somber upon hearing the proposal, people who participated in the discussions said yesterday.

The company initiated the discussions, people involved in them said, and then broke off the negotiations after several weeks of intense meetings.

The other physicians who had joined the discussion agreed and said the number of patient cheaters was increasing.

Those familiar with today's discussions said that the positions of both sides appeared carefully reviewed by lawyers, and rehearsed.

"Let's get the cannons back into mothballs before we open that discussion," Azernal said.

A discussion, perhaps a change in the law," he said, "those are all legitimate.